Can My Wet Cell Phone Work?

I always had a craze for sophisticated cell phones that not only keep me in touch with my friends but simply gives me all that I need - emails, photos, video, games and many other amazing applications. But I was almost crippled without my cell phone twice last year. Just imagine a life without cell phone - can't even think about it.

This has happened twice and I felt totally helpless. My two expensive cell phones took a dip in water and I simply did not know what to do except for replacing it with a new one. One slipped into the swimming pool and the other one into the sink.

But two cell phones in one year were totally out of my budget and I decided to find easy ways (I was ready to try difficult ways too) to fix a wet cell phone. Here are tricks and tips I found though various sources to fix my cell phone and was surprised that these really worked! But make sure you have immediately removed the battery and SIM card to avoid short circuit and save your data from getting wet too. Wipe the water or liquid off your cell phone and its removable parts as quickly as possible.

1. Leave the cell phone to dry; there is no other option, but to wait! It roughly takes three days for the water to vaporize and completely dry out your cell phone. Put the wet cell phone on a low heat source like TV or cable box for a quick dry.

2. Place the cell phone in a bowl of raw rice. Rice has the tendency to soak up moisture. This method is the most economical and safe way to get a wet cell phone dried. There is no chance of the grains going inside the cell phone. Oatmeal can be a good alternative for rice.

3. Try sand or cat litter instead of rice. These alternatives can also help exsiccate the wet cell phone. But there is a risk of tiny particles getting into the phone, so to avoid further damage wrap your phone with an old socks or pantyhose.

4. You can even use compressed air cans with a thin nozzle to dry up the phone. These are often used to clean keyboards and computer devices to dust off the nook and tiny gaps. Be careful while using this method because using compressed air to close to your phone can freeze your cell phone causing further damage.

5. Using a hair dryer is a common idea and has worked for many too. But make sure you set the dryer at a low heat setting because too much of heat can damage components of the cell phone.

6. It may sound funny but allowing the cell to cool in a refrigerator dehumidifies the moisture, allowing the moisture to evaporate and drying the wet cell phone. Beware do not put the phone inside the freezer as it can destroy the LCD of your phone.

7. If you are traveling and are not equipped with any of the above-mentioned gadgets, don't worry; you still can dry your cell phone. Place it over the dashboard of your car and let the sun rays do its job while you are traveling. By the time you are back home, the phone should be at least half dry.

8. Did you drop your cell phone into salt water or some other liquid that has mineral deposits in it? Drying the cell phone in this case will not solve the problem because even if the water evaporates the mineral deposits can cause harm to the phone. Make use of distilled water or methyl alcohol to wash the remains off and then put the phone to dry.

Chances are, even if your wet cell phone dries out and is reusable you will not be able to use the same battery and you will need to replace it with a new one.

Before giving up, try these tips to drying out your wet cell phone. You might be pleasantly surprised.